Court says 9 districts can spend career and tech education funds without EVIT oversight

A judge ruled last week that nine school districts that sued the East Valley Institute of Technology can control how they can spend money they received through EVIT for career and technical education.

EVIT had asked a Maricopa County Superior Court judge to prevent the districts from spending the tax dollars it distributed to the schools on non-EVIT career and technical education, or CTE.

EVIT is what’s known as a career and technical education district, or CTED. As a publicly funded trade school, it provides career training to East Valley high school students.

Funds to support courses from CTEDs like EVIT are generated through a property tax and passed on by the CTED to member school districts.

Why did nine school districts sue EVIT?

The following nine districts sued EVIT in December 2025 because the parties were unable to agree on a new intergovernmental agreement after the last one expired a year ago:

• Apache Junction Unified School District
• Cave Creek Unified School District
• Chandler Unified School District
• Fountain Hills Unified School District
• Gilbert Unified School District
• Higley Unified School District
• J.O. Combs Unified School District
• Queen Creek Unified School District
• Tempe Union High School District

Those districts have accumulated about $50 million from the EVIT CTED in what are called Fund 596 accounts.

In May, EVIT filed an injunction request asking a Maricopa County Superior Court judge to prevent the districts from spending the Fund 596 money, arguing that it is bound to EVIT.

Judge Chrisopher Coury denied the injunction in a June 29 decision, ruling that the districts can spend those funds on CTE or vocational education classes without EVIT oversight.

EVIT is considering filing an appeal.

The court sided with EVIT on one matter. It ruled that when an agreement is in place and CTE classes are taught at member district campuses rather than at an EVIT campus, EVIT can control the content and quality.

Meanwhile, the nine districts won’t receive additional CTED funds until a new intergovernmental agreement can be reached, leaving questions about their CTE programs unanswered.

“We are grateful to the court for taking the time and the effort to sort out a very complicated issue regarding school finances and CTED funds,” EVIT Superintendent Chad Wilson said in a statement. “Unfortunately, this ruling does not provide clarity for the upcoming school year. Students and parents should not be leveraged in a legal dispute.”

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